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Frankfurt
Skyline, River and Gateway to Germany
Skyline, River and Gateway to Germany
Frankfurt’s skyline is unique in Germany: 14 towers above 150 metres, dominated by the Commerzbank Tower (259m, Norman Foster, 1997 — the tallest building in the EU at its completion), the Messeturm (257m, 1991) and the twin towers of Deutsche Bank. The Maintower (200m, 1999) is the only Frankfurt skyscraper with a publicly accessible rooftop observation platform (€10, open until midnight in summer) — the 360-degree view takes in the city, the Taunus hills to the north and the Rhine plain to the south and west. The skyline is best photographed from the Sachsenhausen riverbank, looking north across the Main at dusk.
💡 The Maintower observation deck (€17.50; 200m) is Frankfurt’s only public skyscraper viewpoint — the finest overview of the skyline and the Main river. Go at dusk when the banking towers light up.
The Römerberg is Frankfurt’s medieval market square, flanked by six reconstructed half-timbered buildings (the Ostzeile, rebuilt 1986) and the Römer city hall (a cluster of three patrician houses, in use as Frankfurt’s town hall since 1405). The Paulskirche (St Paul’s Church, 1789) on the edge of the square was the site of the first German National Assembly in 1848 — the first democratically elected national parliament in German history. The Römerberg also hosts the Frankfurt Christmas market (established 1393, one of the oldest in Germany) and the Dippemess folk festival twice a year.
💡 The Römerberg is most atmospheric at 7–9am before tour groups arrive and after 8pm when restaurants set up outdoor tables. The Dom at the east end (free) holds the Imperial Hall where Holy Roman Emperors were elected.
The Städel (1815) on the Museumsufer holds one of the most significant art collections in Germany: 4,100 paintings and 100,000 works on paper spanning seven centuries. The highlights include Botticelli’s “The Ideal City” (1480), Rembrandt’s “The Blinding of Samson” (1636), Vermeer’s “The Geographer” (1669) and a major collection of German Expressionism. Entry €16 (book at staedelmuseum.de). The 2012 extension by Schneider + Schumacher adds a subterranean gallery with circular skylights that emerge from the garden as illuminated domes — one of the best museum interiors in Germany.
💡 The Städel is one of Germany’s finest art museums (€16; closed Mondays) — 700 years from medieval German masters to contemporary works. The 2012 underground extension added 3,000 sq metres. Book online to skip the queue.
Sachsenhausen, the neighbourhood directly across the Main from the Altstadt, has been producing its own apple wine (Ebbelwoi or Äppelwoi — a tart, low-alcohol fermented cider) since at least the 17th century. The traditional taverns (Apfelwein-Wirtschaften) — Zum Gemalten Haus, Wagner, Dauth-Schneider — serve it in glazed stone jugs (Bembel) with ribbed straight glasses (Geripptes), accompanied by Handkäse mit Musik (cured hand cheese marinated in vinegar and onion) or Grüne Soße (a Frankfurt herb sauce made from exactly seven herbs, served cold with hard-boiled eggs and boiled potatoes). The Sachsenhausen side of the Main riverbank in the evening is Frankfurt at its most local.
💡 Ebbelwei (Frankfurt apple wine) is served in a Bembel (grey stone jug) with a Geripptes (ribbed glass). The most authentic taverns are on Schweizer Straße: Zum Wagner and Adolf Wagner are the most traditional.
Frankfurt has two foods that are specific to it and nowhere else. Grüne Soße (Green Sauce) — a cold herb sauce made from exactly seven fresh herbs (borage, chervil, chives, cress, parsley, salad burnet and sorrel) mixed with boiled eggs, oil and sour cream — is the most Frankfurt thing on any menu. It is served as a main course with boiled potatoes and boiled eggs, or as a sauce alongside Schnitzel or Tafelspitz. Goethe claimed it as his favourite food; his mother’s recipe is documented. The second is the Frankfurter Würstchen — the original hot dog, a thin smoked pork sausage in a natural casing, served in pairs in hot water. The Frankfurt version (the original, developed here in the late 18th century) is notably different from the American hot dog it inspired.
The best eating in Frankfurt is in two areas. The Sachsenhausen apple wine taverns (Zum Gemalten Haus on Schweizer Straße is the most atmospheric; Wagner on Schweizer Straße is the most traditional) serve Grüne Soße, Handkäse and Rippchen (smoked pork ribs) with Ebbelwoi at tables where you share with strangers. The Berger Straße in the Bornheim neighbourhood (tram 12 from the centre) is the best independent restaurant street in Frankfurt: 1km of Turkish bakeries, Vietnamese restaurants, Italian osterie and wine bars that the financial district residents use for their actual eating.
The RMV network (S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram and bus) is comprehensive. A day ticket (€9.85 inner zone) covers all modes. The city centre is compact: the Hauptbahnhof to the Römerberg is 20 min on foot along the Kaiserstraße, or 8 min by U-Bahn (U4/U5, 2 stops to Dom/Römer). The Museumsufer along the south bank of the Main connects the Römerberg to the Städel Museum in 20 min on foot. The S-Bahn to the airport (S8 or S9, 12 min) makes Frankfurt Airport a convenient transit hub if you are already in the city centre.
May–September for the Sachsenhausen riverbank culture and Grüne Soße season. August for the free Museumsufer Festival (last weekend). December for one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets (Römerberg, established 1393). Frankfurt is year-round — the museums and financial district operate in all seasons.
Frankfurt is the most expensive German city for hotels, driven by the trade fair and banking demand. However, eating in Sachsenhausen and the Museumsufer is excellent value. Per person per day.
The Museumsufer has 15 museums; several have free or reduced entry on Wednesday evenings. The Römerberg and Goethe House exterior are always free.
Frankfurt as a transit stop of 1–2 nights before a flight from FRA: budget mid-range accommodation near the Hauptbahnhof (S-Bahn to airport in 12 min).
Lafleur in the Palmengarten (2 Michelin stars, Andreas Krolik) is the finest restaurant in Frankfurt: modern French cooking in a 19th-century glass pavilion in the botanical garden.
Two days covers the skyline, the Städel, the Römerberg and a Sachsenhausen evening — with time for a day trip to Heidelberg.
Maintower observation deck at opening (book ahead, €10; skyline view of all 14 towers). Römerberg and the Paulskirche (the 1848 parliament). Walk the Museumsufer south bank (20 min) to the Städel Museum (€16; Vermeer, Rembrandt, Botticelli; allow 2 hours). Cross the Alte Brücke to Sachsenhausen for Ebbelwoi and Grüne Soße at Zum Gemalten Haus or Wagner — arrive by 6pm to get a table.
💡 The Main riverbank (Museumsufer) holds 12 museums within 2km. Walk east after dinner in Sachsenhausen for the night skyline reflection in the Main — one of the finest urban views in Germany.
ICE to Heidelberg (55 min, €12–20; book the night before). Heidelberg Castle (funicular from Kornmarkt, €9 return; castle garden free). Hauptstraße pedestrian zone and the Heiliggeistkirche. Student restaurants on the Steingasse. Return to Frankfurt by 5pm. Optional: Frankfurt Book Fair (October, public weekend, €20) or Palmengarten botanical garden (year-round, €8).
💡 Train from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to Heidelberg: 50 min by ICE (€20 return). The Heidelberg Castle (€10; funicular extra) and Altstadt are compact enough for a half day — return to Frankfurt by early evening.
The Maintower observation platform (€10, level 54, 200m) is the only public rooftop access point in Frankfurt’s famous skyline.
In a Frankfurt apple wine tavern, order a Bembel — the grey-and-blue salt-glazed stoneware jug that holds 1 or 2 litres of Ebbelwoi.
The Städel (€16; staedelmuseum.de) is Frankfurt’s most important museum and has timed entry booking available online.
Grüne Soße season runs from May to October when the seven required herbs are available. In Sachsenhausen, every apple wine tavern serves it.
Heidelberg (55 min by ICE, €12–20) has the most visited castle in Germany (Heidelberg Castle, a Renaissance ruin on a hill above the Neckar with a wine barrel holding 220,000 litres), the oldest university in Germany (founded 1386) and the longest pedestrianised old town in Germany (1.6km, Hauptstraße).
The Museumsufer (Museum Embankment) on the south bank of the Main contains 15 museums within 2km: the Städel (art), the Liebieghaus (sculpture), the Film Museum, the Museum of World Cultures, the Museum of Architecture and the Museum of Applied Arts.
Official Frankfurt public transport app: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus. Day ticket (€9.85) and airport connection (S8/S9, 12 min from Hauptbahnhof). Covers the Rhine-Main region including Heidelberg connections.
Free
ICE trains from Frankfurt: Heidelberg (55 min, from €12), Cologne (1.5h, from €15), Munich (3h, from €25), Berlin (4h, from €25). The Deutschlandticket (€49/month) covers all regional trains and RMV.
Free
Official Städel app: timed-entry booking, audio guide for the Rembrandt, Vermeer and Botticelli collections, and the subterranean extension architecture. Tuesday late openings bookable in the app.
Free
Official observation platform app: ticket booking, sunset times and best photography angles from the 54th floor (200m, 360-degree open-air rooftop). Open until midnight in summer.
Free
Official Frankfurt tourism app: Römerberg audio guide, Museumsufer museum map, Sachsenhausen apple wine route and the Frankfurt Christmas market locations (6 markets).
Free
Download Frankfurt offline. The route from Hauptbahnhof to the Römerberg (20 min walk) and the Sachsenhausen riverbank Ebbelwoi tavern cluster are the most-used navigation features.
Free
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